The Flow Cytometry Shared Resource (FCSR) offers a variety of cell-based research services, principally analytical and sorting flow cytometry. The instrumentation necessary for high-speed cell analysis and sorting is expensive and requires a high level of technical expertise; therefore, this equipment is best situated in a shared resource. FCSR provides for the maintenance of the instrumentation, operafion of the resource, and training and consultation in the use of fiow cytometry in experimental work. The staff offers guidance and training to faculty, staff, professional trainees and students in the entire range of skills needed to utilize flow cytometry, including experiment design, sample preparation and staining, data acquisition, post-acquisition analysis, and sorting. The staff organizes regular training sessions for investigators, given by visiting technical specialists or by the staff themselves. FCSR provides materials related to investigators' data and approaches that can support the feasibility of experiments for grant applications, and provides publication quality representations of primary data when needed. Because the personnel and directors of the FCSR have been active in development of new techniques in fiow cytometry, they have relationships with corporations for the development of new techniques in fluorescence detecfion and instrumentation and with other investigators for novel bioinformatics approaches. This unique feature facilitates rapid adoption of new protocols and techniques. Dr. James E. Crowe Jr. is FCSR scientific director. He meets regularly with staff to review FCSR performance, policies, billing and budget status, personnel issues, protocols and procedures, quality assurance and quality control, and developmental studies.